Sacrifice
by Kaleidoscream Kat
Summary: Of all things, Isuke never expected this. She never thought she'd willingly give up parts of her life to cater to another person, or struggle to avoid being called soft. Letting someone see a gentle side of her personality had never even crossed her mind. Then again, love can do some incredible things.
1. The Break in Her Composure

**Hello! Check my profile for where else you can find me, as well as how to contact me. I've been toying with this idea for a while, and due to recent events in my actual life, I figured I've got an understanding of how the mind works after serious injury. Hope you enjoy this!  
**

* * *

It was late on a Thursday night, and Isuke—like most sensible people—was sound asleep. Her peaceful night was shattered, however, when she was reluctantly jerked from a pleasant dream by the loud ringing of her cell phone. She groaned and rolled over to pick it up, looking at the caller, then the time.

"Haruki...it's almost four in the morning," she complained blearily when she answered. "Can this wait?"

"No. If I wait, I'll lose my nerve. I just wanted to say...of everyone from Class Black, you're the one I feel closest to. Even though you can be a pain, you really are a great friend. I...I guess I should tell you the whole truth, huh? No more secrets. So, Isuke...the truth is...I love you. Not as a friend—it's the other kind. As in I'm _in love_ with you."

"Huh? You're throwing this at me over a phone call in the middle of the night? You couldn't have told me in person during the day instead?"

"No, I couldn't. I don't have time."

"You don't have time?" Isuke frowned. An uncomfortable pang hit her heart and she sat up, all traces of drowsiness vanishing instantly. "What's going on?"

"I never thought I'd do this again. I never wanted to do it in the first place, and being driven to it again…it's not easy. But at this point…with the house practically falling apart…there's no other choice. Not enough time before the bills get here, and not enough money to pay them when they do. I have a good life insurance policy from work, and a will leaving everything to my family. The money will keep them comfortable for a while, or at least until they get a steady source of income. Make sure they get it, okay?" Haruki requested.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Isuke asked, her voice sharpening as fear jolted her out of bed.

"I talked to Haru today. About people dying for her. She said it's easy to smile when that happens, because it means the person's death wasn't in vain. Especially if it's someone who loves you, she said it's easy to smile, to be happy you're alive, and to be thankful to the person who willingly sacrificed their own life for you. So everyone I love will smile. My family who I'm doing this for, and even you, since you've said before that it's pointless to hold onto the past...you'll all still smile when this is over. You'll be better off for it."

"Haruki, where are you?" Isuke asked urgently. She didn't bother getting dressed or even putting on shoes, instead grabbing her keys and running through her house to her car.

"There is...one thing I'm leaving to you. It's in the will. I know it's a family heirloom, but it just felt right to give it to you. It's my mother's engagement ring. I'm not proposing or anything; I just want you to have it." Haruki ignored the question.

"Stop saying those things!" Isuke ordered, her heart pounding as she slid into the driver's seat and started her car. "Tell me where you are and I'll come to get you. You're just scared and stressed. You're not thinking clearly. I'm going to pick you up and bring you back to my house so I can keep you safe. You'll sleep in my bed with me, and when you wake up in the morning you'll realize all this is nonsense."

"Sorry, but I can't let you do that. That's why where I am is none of your concern. I won't tell you, so don't bother asking."

Isuke heard the sound of a bell, then an almost instant echo from her phone—and the echo was deafeningly loud.

 _She's in the bell tower._

Isuke put her car in drive and hoped for no police presence as she shot down the road.

"Haruki. Haruki, listen to me!" she pleaded over the bell as it rang three more times to show the time was four o'clock. Her voice was sharp and sounded more angry than scared. "Don't you dare die!"

"You can't change my mind, Isuke."

"Dammit Haruki, listen to what I'm saying! You can't do this, especially now. You told me you love me, then immediately added that you're about to kill yourself. You idiot! I love you too, so don't do this to me!"

"I know it'll be hard, but you have to keep smiling. I'm not doing this because I'm depressed. I'm doing it to help my family. I'm doing it for a good reason. I love you."

Isuke heard the click of Haruki ending the call.

"Haruki? Haruki! Dammit…" Isuke tossed her phone aside and pressed harder on the gas pedal. Thankfully there were no cars on the streets, even police ones, so she managed to get to the bell tower in about ten minutes instead of the twenty-five the drive normally took. She parked across the street from the building and jumped out of her car, not wasting time on turning it off or even shutting the door behind her.

 _Maybe she came to her senses and didn't do it. Maybe I'm early enough to stop her. Please don't let her be..._

Isuke ran toward the bell tower, around the side of it so she could get to the door…

She felt like her heart stopped when she saw Haruki lying on the ground, motionless. Admittedly shaking, she knelt beside her and felt for a pulse. It took a few seconds, but she picked up a faint heartbeat. She tried to grab her cell phone and swore internally when she realized she'd left in it her car. Haruki's was in her pocket so Isuke pulled it out, careful to not jostle her friend and worsen any injuries. She got to the emergency dialer from the cracked lock screen and immediately called for help.

It only took a couple minutes for the ambulance to arrive, but every passing second left her more afraid than the last. She kept her fingers over Haruki's wrist to monitor her pulse and stared at the faint stirrings of her breath. It was painful to wrench herself away from Haruki when the paramedics arrived. They fastened a stiff collar around her neck to keep her still and carefully put a backboard under her body so they could lift her onto a gurney with minimal change to her position. They put straps over her body, preventing the ambulance ride from jolting her around too much. Isuke crossed her arms across her chest in a futile attempt to offer herself some comfort.

"She'll be okay, right?" Isuke asked.

"We'll do our best," one of the paramedics promised as he helped another gently load her into the ambulance. It sped off and Isuke closed her eyes, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

"Excuse me, miss, but can you tell me what happened?" A voice asked. Isuke opened her eyes to see a police officer standing in front of her with a notepad and pen ready.

"Her name is Haruki Sagae," Isuke said hoarsely. "She has a large family and barely makes enough money to support them. I've tried to give her money to help time and time again, but she always turns me down because she doesn't want me to run out. She's stubborn that way. She called me tonight...and told me to make sure her family got her life insurance money and everything in her will. I tried to talk her out of it and told her I'd come get her and keep her safe, but she wouldn't tell me where she was. I figured it out when I heard how loud the four o'clock AM rings of the bell were from the phone and drove as fast as I could, telling her to not do it, which is why I didn't call for help right away. She hung up while I was in the car, but by then I couldn't think about anything except getting here. I was hoping she'd already come to her senses or I was early enough to stop her, but she'd already jumped. I got the clarity of mind to call for help as soon as I saw her...I just hope I wasn't too late."

"And...your name and relationship to her?"

"Isuke Inukai. We're close friends. I need to get to the hospital. I'm listed as her next of kin because the only living relatives she has left are her siblings, but they were all still minors until recently when the oldest one turned eighteen. Haruki just never got around to changing the information. And even if I wasn't listed as her next of kin...I still need to be there for her now. I can't let her be alone."

"I'll tell my partner to drive you there in your car, since you're probably too shaken to be behind the wheel right now. We'll make sure to call her family in the morning too, so they'll know what happened, but we'll tell them there's no need for them to come down because you're already taking care of things."

"Thank you," Isuke replied. Her body felt numb and there was a deep ache in her chest as she went to wait by her car. She didn't even hear the words a police officer said when he came to her. She sat in the passenger's seat and pulled her seatbelt over her body by habit only.

 _I never knew I could feel this much pain. Dammit Haruki...look what you're doing to me. You'd better not die on me!_

Sitting in the hospital was agonizing. A nurse came over to give her slippers and a blanket for comfort, also setting a pillow beside her in case she got tired. The idea of sleep was completely foreign to Isuke though. She stared at nothing, clutching the Styrofoam cup of hot chocolate one of the police officers had given her. She'd forced some of it down to reassure him that she was fine so he'd leave, but putting anything in her mouth made her stomach turn.

Her phone rang and she ignored it, But it only rang again. And again. Again. Whoever it was kept calling back, so Isuke finally rubbed a hand over her face and picked up her phone.

"Whoever you are, stop calling me," she told the person on the other end flatly.

"Isuke, where are you?" her mother's voice asked. "Papa and I drove by your house on our way home, and your car was gone. Is everything okay? You're usually home at this time." Isuke sighed and tilted her head back to stare at the ceiling.

"I'm sitting in a waiting room in the hospital. Haruki's in surgery, because she's so…so _stupid_. I want to walk into the operating room and slap her for what she did, that big fool."

"I won't ask what happened. Just take care of yourself, or you won't be able to take care of her," Eisuke replied, clearly understanding that his daughter didn't want to talk.

"Alright, Mama. I will," Isuke promised. Eisuke hung up and Isuke put her phone down again, setting her cup on the short table in front of her as well to pull the blanket more closely around her shoulders.

 _She'd better be okay._

After almost twelve hours, a doctor came over to her and she shot to her feet, blacking out for a couple seconds from the sudden motion. The doctor's face was unreadable, either because he was excellent at hiding his emotions or because Isuke was too tired and distraught to see them. She wasn't sure which.

"It was a touch-and-go surgery," he began, "but she pulled through. She's not out of the woods yet though," he cautioned at Isuke's sigh of relief. "She's comatose right now, and we don't know if she'll wake up. Unless she does, we won't know the full extent of her injuries or the effects they have on her. You should go home and rest—if she wakes up, you'll be in no condition to care for her unless you take care of yourself. Being sick or exhausted means you won't be there for her. We'll call the minute her condition changes."

"Alright," Isuke agreed despite a sharp tug of reluctance as the doctor repeated her mother's advice. "I'll wait for your call." She gathered the few belongings she'd brought with her (and kept wearing the hospital's slippers, which were surprisingly comfortable) and left, finding her car and sliding into the driver's seat. She rested her forehead on the steering wheel for a minute or two before letting out a shuddering sigh and sitting up to start the car. She'd go home, force sustenance into her stomach, and get some sleep. After that, there was an errand she had to run.

But first she had to recover her strength— _then_ she'd track down the address she needed. It was time to pay a visit to the person responsible for Haruki's condition.

* * *

Once she was fully fit—four days after Haruki's hospitalization—Isuke stood on the front porch of a small house in a quiet neighborhood. She slammed her fist against the door so hard that the wood cracked slightly. After a few seconds, Haru opened the door with a cheerful smile. Instantly, Isuke barged into the house, grabbed Haru's throat, and slammed her against the wall so her feet were several inches above the floor.

"You!" Isuke snarled, enraged. "It's all your fault!"

"Haru!" Tokaku cried. Isuke turned her head to see Tokaku charging, a knife at the ready, so she threw Haru at her. Tokaku instantly dropped her knife to catch her girlfriend, and Isuke turned to fully face them.

"Why did you talk to her like that?" she demanded furiously, clenching her fists. "Why didn't you keep your damn mouth _shut_ about that, of all things? Do you have any idea what you did? You might have killed her!"

Tokaku turned and ran, Haru still in her arms. Isuke picked the knife up from the floor and chased her to the living room, where Tokaku lowered Haru to the couch and stood protectively in front of her, ready for a fight.

"Why are you after Haru?" Tokaku asked, glaring.

"I was just going to kill _her_ for revenge, but an eye for an eye is fine too. She put someone I love in the hospital, possibly to never wake up again, so it's only fair that I kill someone she loves in return...you'll do nicely," Isuke explained with a twisted grin. Haru sat up, a hand over her throat as she coughed and stared at Isuke with wide, confused eyes.

"How can you say Haru nearly killed someone?" Tokaku shouted, drawing a knife from her boot and coming at Isuke. Empowered by cold fury, Isuke easily disarmed her and grabbed her shoulder to fling her to the ground. She lunged down and pinned Tokaku to the floor, then tried to bury her knife in her throat. Tokaku grabbed her wrist and struggled desperately for survival.

"Isuke, why...why would you say those things?" Haru asked, clearly confused. "What do you think I did?"

"You opened your big mouth to the wrong person! Of all people to tell about how easy it is to smile and be happy after someone dies for you, how thankful you are to that person for their sacrifice, how it's even easier to smile and be happy if it's someone who loves you who died for you...of all people, you told Haruki. She'd tried to die for her family once already, but you still opened your damn mouth and told her how great it is to have known people who loved you enough to willingly die for you. _Haruki_ , the one person from Class Black who'd already tried to do it there, is the one you told about all the benefits of living on after people died for you! You told Haruki, and now...she's..." Isuke gritted her teeth, forcing back the tears that threatened to streak down her face.

"What are you talking about?" Tokaku growled.

"I'm talking about Haruki calling me at four AM so she could _say goodbye_ to me! She said Haru had told her all about how enjoying life after someone dies for your sake is so easy. She told me to make sure her family got the money from her life insurance and everything in her will. She told me she loved me and she was leaving something important—her mother's engagement ring—to me. Then she jumped off the fucking bell tower! She's in a coma, possibly to never wake up, and the doctors won't have any idea how bad the damage is unless she regains consciousness. It doesn't matter that Haru wasn't there to physically push her off the bell tower. Her words are what did it, so it's still her fault!"

"How can you blame Haru? I'm sure she didn't mean for that to happen!" Tokaku retorted.

"She should have known! Haruki will do anything to make sure her family survives, even if that means killing herself! You were both there when she tried to do it in Class Black. Haru made suicide for the sake of loved ones sound noble and glorious instead of telling her the truth: that it makes everyone left miserable. She made it sound like the perfect solution!"

"Inukai, don't be ridiculous! You're upset and looking for someone to blame for what happened, but Haru didn't tell Haruki to commit suicide. That was Haruki's choice!"

"It's not Haruki's fault!" Isuke denied fiercely. "There are only two people to blame, and Haru's one of them."

"Then who's the other?" Tokaku growled. "You should be going after them instead, because that second person undoubtedly meant harm while Haru didn't!"

"No! The second person tried desperately to talk her out of it! She told Haruki to stay where she was until she could pick her up, and that she'd sleep in the same bed as her to keep her safe! She begged Haruki to tell her where she was, figured it out when she heard the bells over the phone, and got there as fast as she could, but she'd already jumped. She called for help, stayed by Haruki's side, and sat in the hospital's waiting room for hours, hoping she'd survive. She...she can't forgive herself for being unable to convince her to not do it. She can't forgive herself for being too late to stop her. Even if she survives...I won't ever forgive myself for failing to keep her safe."

"Isuke..." Haru said softly, sounding like she was about to cry in the same moment that Isuke's efforts to keep her tears behind her eyes failed. Tokaku managed to kick her off and grabbed the knife when she dropped it. Isuke stood and saw Tokaku coming at her with her knife aimed to kill, but all the fight had been drained out of her, leaving her unable to even attempt to defend herself or avoid the attack.

 _Dammit Haruki...you're ripping me apart._

"Tokaku, stop!" Haru cried. Tokaku froze instantly, just a couple inches away, and turned to face her girlfriend.

"Haru, she's unstable. She tried to kill you, and she'll do it again as soon as you let your guard down."

"Tokaku...don't kill her. Can't you see how much she's hurting right now? She's crying. Please...let's just make her something warm to drink."

"...Fine," Tokaku gave in reluctantly, lowering her knife and stepping back. Haru came over to Isuke and gently took her wrist to pull her to the couch.

"Sit down," she urged softly. "I'll go make you some tea. Tokaku, can you go get one of my extra handkerchiefs for her, or at least a box of tissues?"

"Alright. Just stay alert; there's no telling if she'll attack you while I'm out of the room."

"I will," Haru promised. Tokaku shot one last glare of scrutiny at Isuke, then headed down a hall while Haru went to the kitchen. Isuke clenched her fists in her lap, hating this. She hated that these two were helping her. She hated that she couldn't find the strength to leave. She hated that she had been reduced to someone so weak and deserving of pity.

She hated it all.

Despite all of that though, she still accepted the cup of tea Haru gave her, and she still kept the box of tissues Tokaku brought well within her reach. She knew it would be stupid to reject these offerings when they were free of charge. Besides, the tea was surprisingly good.

"Isuke, you...you're really in love with Haruki, aren't you?" Haru guessed softly after about half a minute of silence. "Deeply. You came here because you're afraid she'll die before you get a chance to have a relationship with her."

"I had no idea she felt that way. Relationship? Hell, I've never even _kissed_ her, and now it might be too late for that," Isuke replied bitterly. "I love her, and I told her during that phone call, but I might never get to say it to her face. She's just…such a bothersome idiot. If she was anyone else, I'd hate her for doing this to me. But since it's her, I'm just angry at her."

"Everyone has a weakness, Inukai," Tokaku told her, her voice sharp and crisp. "No matter how great you think you are, you have weaknesses. Get used to it."

"Tokaku!" Haru hissed in reprimand, elbowing her girlfriend. Isuke just glared at the Azuma and took another sip of her tea.

 _So she remembers how expertly I exploited_ her _weakness back in Class Black,_ she thought with a trace of smugness. _I'm flattered._

At that house, Isuke had been successfully distracted from the thought of blame, but she had no choice but to face it on the drive home. Haru wasn't at fault—she'd genuinely had no idea that Haruki was planning suicide and wanted to make sure she wouldn't leave everyone permanently broken by her death. She wouldn't have said it if she'd known. Isuke's grip on the steering wheel tightened as she found herself facing a cold, hard truth:

The only person she could blame for Haruki going through with her suicide attempt was herself. She'd known what Haruki was planning but hadn't been able to talk her out of it or get there in time to stop her.

 _I'm the only one to blame._

* * *

Isuke spent a week trying to cope with the guilt she felt. She pushed it away enough to have a clear mind, but the uncertainty of Haruki's condition always brought it back. Nothing would keep it at bay forever unless Haruki recovered. Guilt wasn't easy to shake off, after all.

As Isuke finished putting away groceries from a quick run to the store, her cell phone rang and she looked at the screen. It was the hospital, and her heart pounded as she answered.

"Hello, is this Isuke Inukai?" a woman's voice greeted her. She seemed about to continue with the place she represented and the purpose of the call, but Isuke cut her off.

"Yes. Did something happen to Haruki?" she asked, keeping her voice as calm as possible to muffle her fear and anticipation as she tightened her grip on her phone.

"Yes," came the reply. "She's awake."


	2. The Need to Adapt

**Whew, this took a lot longer than expected! But here's the second chapter. I hope it's worth the wait! ^_^;**

* * *

Isuke got to the hospital in record time. The nurse at the front desk pointed her to the ICU, where a doctor met her to explain Haruki's current condition.

"She didn't have any broken limbs, by some miracle—just some fractures in her left wrist and forearm, and two ribs were cracked. She dislocated her left shoulder as well, but that was repaired immediately and without any problems. She did sustain some head trauma, but she just has a minor concussion. No cracks to her skull, brain damage, memory loss, or anything serious. She had several internal injuries, but all were taken care of. We had to remove her spleen, which means she'll be more susceptible to infections even after she recovers. Nothing happened to her face: no broken nose or jaw, chipped or missing teeth, eye or tongue injuries...the cuts from surgery and her fall will leave scars on her body but no muscle damage, so no worries there. We'll be keeping a close watch on all of her organ systems to make sure nothing unexpected happens, like internal bleeding or infection, but that's more of caution than certainty."

"So she's okay," Isuke sighed, relieved.

"I'm afraid there _is_ a bit of bad news," the doctor added, his voice turning somber.

"Bad news? What is it?" Isuke asked, her throat closing up as she struggled to think of any possibilities.

"Her spine took substantial damage, and we could only do so much this soon. We'll be able to fully repair it with surgery once her body recovers more, but until we operate...she'll be paralyzed from the waist down."

Isuke swayed slightly on her feet, a surge of dismay nearly overwhelming her.

 _How can someone as active as Haruki cope with that?_

"She's been asking for you," the doctor informed her. "She'll need as much support as she can get while she's healing, and after we repair her spine, she'll need extensive physical therapy. You'll have to take care of her."

"I will," Isuke promised. "I have a very flexible work schedule," _To be accurate, I don't have one at all since being an assassin isn't really a nine-to-five job,_ "so taking care of her and making sure she gets to every appointment she has won't be a problem." The doctor nodded.

"I'll take you to her room." He started to walk, and Isuke matched his pace. "Also, until her body fully recovers, she won't be able to stay at her house. She'll strain herself and worsen her condition when she inevitably tries to care for her siblings, and she's too weak to fight off any sicknesses or infections they pass on to her. Even something minor could turn very dangerous, very fast. Can you make alternate arrangements?"

"Yes," Isuke assured him firmly. "She can stay with me; I'll have my house renovated to accommodate her needs."

"Good. I'll compose a list of recommended living conditions so you'll be better prepared."

"Thank you. Could you avoid telling her about the living situation? I want her to be surprised," Isuke requested, smirking.

"I don't see why not," the doctor agreed.

"How long do you think it will take before you can operate again and fix her spine?" Isuke asked.

"It's hard to say," he admitted. "Hopefully in a couple months, but any illness, infection, or other health problem could prolong the wait."

"Mm." Isuke crossed her arms. "So I'll have to listen to her whine for at least two months. Good to know."

"I hope you keep that attitude," the doctor commented with a chuckle. "I can tell you with certainty that she's not in the best frame of mind, and pity would only make it worse."

"I know," Isuke confirmed with a shrug.

 _I don't pity her anyway, and acting like I do would seriously upset her since she knows pity isn't me._

"Here." The doctor stopped at a row of seven sinks, with everything running on motion sensors only. "Wash your hands thoroughly, and don't touch anything after you dry them. Hands carry a lot of germs, so for the next two weeks, it's necessary."

"Mmhm." Isuke hid her growing impatience and forced herself to be obedient, then followed him to a door.

"Here." He quietly turned the knob and opened it for her. "She should still be awake."

Without acknowledging his chivalry, Isuke stepped through the open door and he closed it behind her. Haruki was indeed awake, but she was staring at the ceiling and didn't seem to notice that someone had come into her room. Her left arm was in a splint from her elbow to her hand, so Isuke went over to stand at her right side. Still, there was no indication Haruki had noticed her entrance.

"Haruki," Isuke said, catching her attention. Haruki met her eyes with a frightened expression.

"I know you're really mad at me about all this, but before you start yelling at me and cursing me and telling me how much of an idiot I am, I just want to say—mm!" Isuke cut Haruki off by leaning down to press a gentle kiss to her lips. Haruki recovered almost instantly and easily returned it so Isuke rested a hand against her cheek, feeling her battered body relax under her touch.

"You _are_ an idiot, Haruki," Isuke said when she pulled back, "but I'm not mad at you. Not anymore, at least. I thought I was mad at Haru too, for thoughtlessly telling you about how easily she smiles even after so many people died for her, so I tried to kill her...but I didn't actually do it because I realized the only person I was really angry with was myself, for not being able to stop you. It's my fault that you went through with it, not anyone else's."

"No, Isuke...it's not your fault. I'm so sorry...I never even thought...I had no idea you'd blame yourself for that. To be honest...after talking to you...I couldn't bring myself to jump. You sounded so desperate and scared...it wasn't like you. You told me you loved me and you begged me to not do it. I almost didn't. I had to push you out of my mind first. It took a few minutes, and as soon as I managed to stop thinking about you for two seconds, I jumped. But when I was falling, you were the only thing on my mind, and I regretted my choice to go through with it. Then...I hit the ground and lost consciousness."

There was a pause.

"They...they told you, right? About..." Haruki bit her lip and looked down her own body for a moment before meeting Isuke's eyes again.

"The temporary paralysis? Yes," Isuke confirmed bluntly. Haruki responded with a slight, grateful smile.

 _She's relieved I'm not sugarcoating everything,_ Isuke noticed, feeling some of the heaviness in the atmosphere lift.

"You sure you want to go out with a paraplegic?" Haruki joked. "I doubt I'll be any good in bed this way." Isuke rolled her eyes and smacked her shoulder. "Ow!"

"You're not getting out of a relationship with me so easily! I don't give a damn about that, and we're not even going to _think_ about trying it until you recover! This isn't the time for it. You're not gonna be paralyzed forever anyhow. Starting now, you're my girlfriend, and that's that," Isuke retorted.

"Ah, the old ball and chain, huh?" Haruki earned herself another smack. "Hey, I'm in a hospital bed here! Stop hitting me!" she protested.

"Then stop provoking me," Isuke countered. Haruki huffed and shot her a glare but didn't argue. Isuke hesitated for a moment before deciding to ask her next question. "Haruki..."

"Yeah?"

 _Since she'll be living with me, this is something I probably need to know, right?_

"Just out of curiosity...what exactly can you feel from the waist down?" she asked. Haruki took a deep breath.

"Well...nothing in my legs at all. You could probably stab them, shoot them, and smash them with a hammer without me knowing unless I saw or heard you do it. But in the rest of that, it's more of a muted sensation. I can barely feel, but I can more or less tell what's going on if I really focus. And as for sexual pleasure...I have no idea if I can feel that right now or not." Haruki bit her lip and closed her eyes tightly. She clearly hadn't wanted to explain everything she'd lost from this injury, even if it was only temporary.

 _But I had to ask. And...does she seriously think I'd even consider having sex with her while she's recovering from all this? This isn't the time for it at all. Hell, I_ just _said that!_

"Well if you want...we can always test that last one," Isuke replied seductively (albeit insincerely) to lighten the solemn mood, leaning down. Haruki opened her eyes and put a hand over her girlfriend's face to shove her back, grinning despite her blush.

"Someone might walk in on us, you tease!" she played along with a laugh, the sparkling mirth in her eyes making it clear that she knew the "offer" was a joke. Isuke chuckled and opened her mouth but refrained from speaking when the door opened and a couple nurses came in with a wheeled cart.

"Just have to take your vitals and run a few tests, Sagae," one explained. Haruki groaned.

"Oh great...now my girlfriend gets to watch you poke me like a lab rat," she complained.

"You're in good spirits," one of the nurses noticed with a pleased smile. "Any pain?"

"Not really. But that won't last, will it?" Haruki guessed.

"No, which is why we brought a morphine drip," the nurse replied, making Haruki groan again.

"She's gonna see me all doped-up too?"

"Stop whining," Isuke chided. "I'd rather see you doped-up than suffering."

"Ohh, are you going _soft_ on me, Isuke?" Haruki taunted. Isuke smacked her shoulder. "Cut that out!" She looked pleadingly at the amused nurses. "Make her stop hitting me!"

"Baby," Isuke accused.

"We really do need to take her vitals, so please take a step back for now," one of the nurses told Isuke.

"For now?" Haruki repeated incredulously. "I just had a near-death experience, but you won't keep her from assaulting me?"

"I wasn't assaulting you—it's a reprimand, not an attack. Besides, you've lived through worse hits than that."

Haruki shot her a sullen glare but otherwise didn't respond, and Isuke stepped away from the bed just enough to give the nurses adequate space.

"Do you need anything?" a nurse offered, wrapping a blood pressure cuff around Haruki's right arm. "Food? Water?"

"You guys have been forcing food and water down my throat since I woke up! Jeez, I'm too full to put anything else in my stomach," Haruki complained.

"Alright," the nurse agreed with a chuckle. The other one was preparing needles and tubes with which to both give Haruki injections and draw her blood. When those were ready and the blood pressure cuff was gone (with a quick utterance of it being in the normal range), the nurse attached an IV bag to her arm.

"If the pain gets bad, just hit the call button and we'll adjust the dose," he said. Haruki grumbled agreement and kept a sullen expression as her blood was drawn, as a couple shots were injected, as the nurses took the rest of her vital signs…

When they left, Haruki sighed with relief and Isuke returned to her bedside. Haruki looked tired after the nurses' visit.

"You want to go back to sleep, huh?" she guessed. Haruki grinned sheepishly.

"Kinda, yeah…but I also don't want you to leave," she confessed.

"Then I won't." Isuke settled in the chair beside the bed. "Get some more sleep."

"'Kay…" Haruki yawned, already sounding half-asleep. "Love you."

"Mmhm, I love you too," Isuke replied. When she was sure Haruki was asleep, she took out her phone and opened her browser to search for house renovation services operating in the area. She could at least be productive while waiting for her girlfriend to awaken again.

* * *

Almost an hour later, Isuke heard stirring in the bed. She quickly closed the notes app in which she'd typed various businesses' information and put her phone away. She wasn't sure if Haruki was really awake or not, but she didn't want to risk giving away the surprise of the future living situation they would have.

"Hey, um...Isuke?" Haruki caught her attention, still tired but shaking it off faster than Isuke thought someone in her condition would be able to.

 _Ah. So she's actually awake after all._ Isuke looked at her, but her girlfriend wouldn't meet her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Isuke asked with a concerned frown.

"Could you...step out for a few minutes? Get food or coffee or anything you want. Just...just leave for a while."

"What? Why?"

"There are...there are some things I don't want you to see," Haruki explained, her voice strained and thick with urgent distress. "I don't want you here for them. So please...go find something to do for a few minutes. Please..."

Isuke hesitated, then sighed and stood. She leaned down to press a kiss to Haruki's forehead.

"I understand," she assured her. "I'll be back soon. Have someone wait at the door to make sure I don't come back in before you're ready."

"Thank you, Isuke," Haruki said with a faint smile. Isuke smiled back and left the room, a quick glance over her shoulder showing that Haruki was reaching for the call button beside her bed.

 _She'll have to get over being embarrassed about these things. She can't do much on her own yet; I'll have to help her with a lot when she's out of the hospital, whether she's embarrassed about it or not. But why can't I feel annoyed about how much I'll need to do for her? How much time, effort, and money I'll spend on her needs and wants? Why can't I be even a little irked?_

 _Oh, right. Because love is a stupid, weakening thing that I can't resist no matter how hard I try. Ugh..._

After some internal complaining, Isuke realized she should probably check in with her mother. She'd need to make money while she was taking care of Haruki but she didn't want to risk going far away from her girlfriend, just in case something happened.

 _I need to ask Mama for a favor. I'd better go sit in my car while I talk to him, though...I can't risk someone overhearing and calling the police on me._

It didn't take long for Isuke to find her way back to her car. She unlocked it, sat in the driver's seat, locked the doors for extra security, and took out her cell phone. She dialed her mother's cell phone number from memory and put her phone to her ear, tapping the fingers of her free hand impatiently on the steering wheel. It only took a few rings for Eisuke to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mama.

"Isuke? Is everything alright?"

"She's not dead, if that's what you mean," Isuke replied bluntly, earning a slight chuckle. She'd told her parents the whole story several days after the incident. "In fact, she's awake. Mostly alright, but there's a little hitch."

"And what would that be?"

"Temporary paralysis below her waist. I'll be taking care of her once the hospital discharges her—I'm renovating my house and everything for her, actually. She doesn't even know she'll be living with me." Isuke couldn't fight her own chuckle at that. "But I'll have to stay close to home from now until she recovers, since she'll need me to be there with her. That puts a restriction on jobs I can take, so can you just…pass any nearby ones on to me?"

"Isuke, you know you don't have to be an assassin, right? I'm proud of you for following in my line of work, but if you need something more stable—"

"Mama, I _love_ my job," Isuke cut him off. "Just give me all the nearby targets."

"I will," Eisuke agreed. "And give Haruki my best."

"Thank you, Mama. I'll call you again later."

"Alright. I love you, Isuke."

"Love you too."

Isuke hung up and leaned back in the driver's seat, letting out a slow sigh. She thought about calling some of the renovation business she'd found but decided to wait until Haruki's doctor gave her the list of recommended living conditions he'd promised. Isuke didn't want t risk calling on someone who didn't know how to properly carry out those requests. If the renovations were unsafe, the sorry soul who screwed up would soon be dead at her hands. She didn't want to kill unnecessarily—especially when she had a personal, easy to prove motive—so she just stepped out of her car and locked it behind her.

 _I'll find somewhere to get food in the hospital, then check on Haruki again. Or maybe track down that doctor first to get his list of living conditions for Haruki. Renovations take time, and everything has to be completely ready by the time she's discharged. I've spent a lot of money and time on my house, getting it exactly how I want it, and now I'm going to be changing it for the sake of someone else. Being in love is so stupid. Especially when the woman you love jumps off a damn bell tower and ends up in the hospital with serious injuries and a temporary disability, yet for some godforsaken reason you can't stop loving her. Stupid Haruki! She's lucky I'm rich enough to take care of her through all this, and her family too. But it's still going to hurt my wallet…_

 _She had better make it up to me once she recovers._

* * *

 **Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long to finish and post! Reviews are always welcome. :)**


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